Burkhalter awarded first HCA postgraduate scholarship

Austin Peay student-athlete Julie Burkhalter is the inaugural recipient of the HCAs
TriStar Family of Hospitals postgraduate scholarship.
Austin Peay student-athlete Julie Burkhalter is the inaugural recipient of the HCA's
TriStar Family of Hospitals postgraduate scholarship.

“It gives me great pleasure to award the HCA TriStar Scholarship to Julie,” said Ohio
Valley Conference Commissioner Dr. Jon A. Steinbrecher. “She has had an outstanding
career at Austin Peay, personifying the term ‘student-athlete' with her dedication
to her academic and athletic pursuits and her participation in numerous community
service activities. Thanks to the generosity of HCA TriStar, she will be able to continue
her studies at the next level, where I am sure she will have similar success.”

The $2,500 scholarship is awarded to a graduating Ohio Valley Conference student-athlete
or student manager/trainer who has participated at an OVC member institution for a
minimum of two seasons and who will pursue a postgraduate education in the field of
medicine, nursing, physical therapy, athletics training or other health sciences field.
The scholarship is part of a corporate partnership between HCA TriStar and the OVC
that also includes a special section on the league's Web site, http://www.ovcsports.com,
titled “HCA's TriStar Family of Hospitals Student-Athlete Spotlight,” which recognizes
those OVC student-athletes who are making a difference in their communities.

"I was very honored to be nominated for this scholarship, let alone receive this award,”
says Burkhalter. “I am truly appreciative of being the first recipient. Not only will
it be a great help to me at physical therapy school, but hopefully it will lead to
even better things in my future as well."

Burkhalter, a senior outside hitter on the Austin Peay volleyball squad, led the Lady
Govs in digs in each of her four seasons and became the fifth member of the program's
“Double-Grand Club,” topping both the 1,000-kill and 1,000-dig plateaus during her
career. She recently graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in biology
and will begin attending physical therapy school at The University of Texas Southwestern
Medical Center this fall. A native of Alvin, Texas, Burkhalter has received one OVC
Medal of Honor and is up for her fourth OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll accolade when
the awards are announced later this summer. She was named to both the APSU Dean's
List and Athletic Director's Honor Roll all eight semesters of her enrollment, and
was twice selected to the President's List.